Demographic information: Idalia Schools 50 PreK5 students
account for one-third of its total PreK12 student population
of 151, all of whom study in one building. Of Idalias student
population, 44 percent qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and
10 percent are English language learners. Eighty-eight percent of
students are Caucasian; 12 percent are non-Caucasian.

At Idalia School, students are encouraged to learn about and take
pride in their tight-knit, rural community  often as a way of
learning about history, geography, the arts, and other subjects.

Located on the eastern plains of Colorado 30 miles west of the Kansas
border, Idalia School draws students from Idalia (population 91) and
the nearby towns of Burlington, Joes, and Wray.

Teachers at Idalia School have collaborated with working artists to
integrate the arts into the curriculum since 1997. Theatre, photography,
poetry, prose, music, and visual art have found prominent places in
the curriculum. Students recently produced a display called Picture
Old Idalia. The exhibit began as a collection of old photographs
and evolved into a permanent display that draws community members into
the school to share their knowledge of the people and places depicted
in more than 1,000 photos. The effort was supported by the Annenberg
Rural Trust, which funds exemplary rural public school programs that
reflect their communities unique history, culture, economy, or
environment.

In the 19992000 school year, Idalia School was one of five schools
in the state to receive the Colorado Alliance for Art Educations
Creative Ticket School of Excellence Award.